[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjm-XjmSAus]According to a study from Fidelity Investments, financial New Years resolutions are on the rise. A year ago, approximately 27% of Americans admitted to having a financial resolution for 2018. This year that number is up 5% as a full 32% of survey respondents say that have financial resolutions for this coming year.

While there are many financial goals that can be made into resolutions, here are the three most popular this year:

  1. Save more money. 48% said that they plan to save more money this year. This one comes as no surprise as many people tend to overspend and deplete their savings during the holidays.
  2. Pay down debt. 29% said that they wanted to pay down their debt. Again, it’s no surprise as debt tends to be higher this time of year after weeks, or even months, of gift shopping.
  3. Spend less. 15% of Americans in this survey said they want to spend less. This seems to naturally result from the first two, but is a solid goal on its own as well.

But no goal is possible without avoiding potential pitfalls. For 2019, experts warn Americans to avoid the following if you want to achieve your financial goals:

  1. Dining out.
  2. Splurging on what you can’t afford.
  3. Paying for subscriptions you don’t use.

In summary, financial discipline requires both avoiding certain actions as well as implementing others. Use this new year to get yourself on track financially!